Just Bike Talk

Embrocation Basics: Part I

Submitted by David on

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Embrocation Basics: Part I
By: Michael J. Zerinskas
BALM Co. - www.balmco.com

With temperatures dipping below 50° here in Colorado, many cyclists and runners are left pondering days in the gym, hours on fluid trainers, and 8oz curls on the couch. With the right clothing choice and a healthy dose of embrocation, you can ditch those winter blues and be back out on your favorite routes no matter how low the temps go.

Jessica: Using our Bikes to Release Some of the Grief

Submitted by Cheri Felix on

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Cheri Felix

I have a special spot where some of my mom’s ashes are. It just happens to be at the top of a steep hill or at the beginning of a sweet downhill. It all depends on how you look at it. Either way, I put them out there because I knew that for the rest of my upright life I would visit that spot time and time again. When my mom died I used my body to release the grief. I hiked, I did yoga and I rode my bike. A lot. One of my favorite sad days was with M. We rode and I talked and we cried. I shared every last detail of my mother’s last breath. It was very healing.

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Dopers Suck, Did Tejay Win & Danielson's Guilt

Submitted by Kris Thompson on

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Will Dopers Suck sale out today?

Surprised anyone? What piece of information impacts you the most? Will the spot light move now to Amateur cycling and finish what matters to you most or is the whole discussion going to move on and end.

Next up, does that mean Tejay won this years USA Pro Challenge?

Lastly, words from local star, Tom Danielson on his drug use, from the Daily Camera

"Along the road to following my dream, I've had several ups and downs, but I stuck with it because I love the sport," Danielson said in the statement. "I never set out thinking I would cross a line. I set out simply wanting to compete, to race my bike and do what I love. And that is exactly what I did, clean.

Average: Why Are We So Afraid of That Word?

Submitted by Cheri Felix on

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Author, Cheri Felix rides Fruita

Another weekly column from our guest writer Cheri Felix

Sometimes when I am talking about how great my three kids are I make sure to joke that although they are amazing that they are average kids. I mean this to say, yes they are clever and dedicated and excited about school but that they are normal average kids. People always laugh. Nervously. And when I talk about me and my mountain biking obsession (let’s call a spade a spade), I’m always sure to say that I’m an average mountain biker. Some people take a pause at this point. Especially if they’ve ridden with me or seen the photos on Facebook or heard me talk (endlessly) about my bike. And for some reason it’s so hard for people to hear others talk about themselves as average. Because I guess we’re all supposed to be above average or amazing or elite or fill in the blank.

When did average become such a bad word? I mean, when I talk about my weight, I like to say I’m about average in the weight department and when I talk about my looks, I use the word average too. When I describe my height, I aspire to average. I’m 5’3”. I’d also say I aspire to average when it comes to cleaning the house, flossing my teeth and keeping my car clean. And that all sounds okay but when it comes to abilities and knowledge, we all seem to want to be above average or amazing or incredible or gasp p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

Coffee Talk - Does Being a Parent Make You a Better Racer?

Submitted by Amy Thompson on

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Tuesday Coffee Talk allows all of us to engage in community related topics and share your 2 cents worth

Yesterday the Daily Camera ran a story on how local cyclocross star Kristin Weber balances family, work and racing and she does it very successfully too:

"After having my babies, I remember being like 'What am I going to do for myself?'" she said. "After giving and giving and giving, after years of being pregnant and you're so in demand in the years of being a new mother, it was a nice refocus for me. It's a much more manageable sport to get into."

As a small business owner, she works from a home office, so she can take off in the middle of the day for training. Her kids also like riding and ringing their cowbells at races, which helps, she added.

"I'm very grateful to represent the working moms," Kristin Weber said. "A lot of the women at the elite level have children, and it's inspiring."

Her husband, David, agrees, "Balancing a regular eight-to-five job, having kids and then racing is a completely different story," David Weber said. "And there's a lot of people who do it quite well in Boulder."

Interestingly, Kristin's story is not rare, we have plenty of other examples as well, some who stand on the highest podium like Nicole Duke, who has had her best racing successes after having kids. Another example is Kristin Armstrong, who retired from racing in 2009 and had her son in 2010. She ended her retirement in 2011 and went on to win a second Gold Medal at this summer's London Olympics.

This phenomenon is not limited to women. After his son was born in 2010, Tom Danielson took 9th place in the Tour de France in 2011 and this year after the birth of his daughter, Tom won a stage of the USPCC and clinched the overall "Most Agressive Rider" jersey. Other local examples are Pete Weber and Brandon Dwight, who remain at the top of cyclocross while being dads too.

Tuesday Coffee Talk - What's your Car Harassment story?

Submitted by Kris Thompson on

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Image from Boise Weekly

The incident that happened in Longmont as two cyclists were out for a Sunday ride is terrible and unjustified, yet sadly this happens more than you'd guess, especially if you live outside of places like Boulder. Harassment like this makes us frustrated and pissed off, just boiling over enough so when the next jackass does this we overreact and explode, leaving us no better than the driver. Huge congrats to these two riders for keeping their cool (at least what we saw in film), many would not and let's all take a moment and decompress and share our stories. What is the worst thing that has happened to you while out on the roads?

I've had a lot of crap handed to me on the bike over the years and by far most of it happened while not living in Colorado but the worst did happen in Boulder County on St. Vrain Road west of Longmont. This road is mostly dead of traffic and pretty darn straight so one day I was riding, yes, two abreast when a large truck passed us honking and yelling. It passed us slowly and we yelled something back, I think making fun of the female drivers weight. She stopped and got out and it turned into a yelling match for what seemed like 5 minutes over nonsense. I was young then, today I'd just wave and ride on, truly the better route to take than one I had 10-ish years ago.


I Am So Lucky That I Get To Ride My Bike: Lessons from the Dirt

Submitted by Cheri Felix on

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I went out for a ride the other day with a bunch of girls. It was one of those days where you inhale the dirt and the smell of the pine and you think, “I am so lucky to be out here on my bike.” I have those days all of the time because I have certain reminders in my life to remind me of how lucky I am; a mother who had a stroke at age 49 and later died at age 58 from ovarian cancer and a father who is dying of emphysema. Not that he would have ever ridden a bike but he can’t for sure now. I guess my point is that I don’t have to look far to see the privilege I carry to ride my bike, to have a bike and to have some great trails and some great girlfriends to share my passion. And a super supportive husband I might add.

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